Match Report

Argentina picked-up a 2-0 win against Italy with Ever BANEGA and Manuel LANZINI as the goal scorers.

A Lionel MESSI-less Argentina team saw them get a 2-0 victory against Italy. All the news prior to the match was about the fitness of Lionel MESSI and it’s fair to say, for the most part, the team did fairly well without him. Both goalkeepers were busy on both sides of the pitch but it was Willy CABALLERO, on his Argentina National Team debut, who got the better of football legend Gianluigi BUFFON.

The team looked much improved in the match and while some cracks were certainly there, the players looked more comfortable than the last two matches when they played against Nigeria and Russia. Substitute Ever BANEGA opened the scoring following a great one-two with Giovani LO CELSO (who ironically enough was the man who replaced Lionel MESSI in the starting eleven). Shortly before the end of the match, West Ham United’s Manuel LANZINI doubled his country’s lead with a fantastic shot from the edge of the penalty area to seal the 2-0 victory.

Goal scorer Ever BANEGA came on for Leandro PAREDES as the first change of the night for Jorge SAMPAOLI. Captain Angel DI MARIA was taken off for Diego PEROTTI, Cristian PAVON came on for Giovani LO CELSO and Gabriel MERCADO was the last substitute on for Fabricio BUSTOS.

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